Chewy, Fruity Granola Bars

I hate eating breakfast. I always have. I just cannot eat right after getting up - it makes me feel horrible. Conversely, neither can I make it through a morning teaching small children without eating. Therefore, granola bars and the like have been my solution for years. This was fine until I started thinking more about what I eat and reading ingredient lists. After crossing off brand after brand due to ingredients or nutrition information, I was left with exactly one kind of granola bar regularly stocked at the commissary that met my criteria. And let me tell you - eating one thing every morning for breakfast gets old fast. So I got this recipe from SmittenKitchen and adapted it a bit to my tastes. That's the great thing about granola bars - you can put whatever you want in them!

For my first batch, I used mostly dried mango and pineapple, with coconut and slivered pecans. I also threw in some craisens for color and a few chocolate chips to satisfy my sweet tooth. If you're in the mood for peanut butter, throw 1/3 c into the mix.

Edit, April 24 2010:  I've begun to substitute 3-4 tablespoons of butter with applesauce.  I haven't tried subbing all of the butter for applesauce yet, but I've noticed that subbing about half yields much softer bars, and tastier too, I think!

Ingredients

1 2/3 c quick rolled oats
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c oat flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts
6 T melted butter
1/4 c + 2 T honey
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil or parchment, mist with spray oil. Mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Press the granola into the pan evenly and bake for 30-40 minutes.